Over Half of 2011 High School Grads Enrolled in College

Roughly two-thirds of U.S. high school students that graduated between January and October 2011 had enrolled in college, according to a recent report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here are some additional facts about college enrollment and work activity of high school students slated to graduate in 2011:

• The college enrollment rate was higher for women with 72.3 percent headed to college, versus 64.6 percent of men. 

• Nine out of every 10 recent graduates enrolled in college in October 2011 were going full-time. These students were considerably less likely to be working or looking for work (35.1 percent), compared with those attending school on a part-time schedule (79.7 percent). 

• Recent high school dropouts had a higher jobless rate (38.4 percent) compared with high school graduates that were not enrolled in college (33.6 percent)

• College enrollment of recent high school grads peaked in October 2009 at 70.1 percent.

Learn more about high school graduates, dropouts, and college enrollment in the full report.